An unwelcome guest

Disclaimer: Not added one in a while, so I might as well- with a song. I do not~ own Naruto~ it is proper-r-rty~ of Mr. Masashi-i-i~ I'm just as fan so don't sue me-e-e~ *Bows for applause*

XXX

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

Water. Flooding from the ceiling- the entire system of tunnels that comprised the Vein-Mist were flooding at a rapid speed. "Something's burst the chakra field…" muttered Rera, as she rose from her seat, and strode through the low water towards its source. "Sution: Nodo-Uzumaki!" (Water Release: Throat-Whirlpool)

As a torrent of water rushed towards her, the woman drew back and began to inhale, sucking up the water as if she were a vacuum. For about a minute, she simply stood there, sucking up the water while turning blue in the face from lack of oxygen.

Then, suddenly, the torrent stopped. And a single sound echoed through the moist cavern, ringing loudly- a clap. "My, my… Impressive."

Naruto was frozen with fear. Utakata stepped in front of him, a bit behind Rera, and held out his arm. "Stay back, Uzumaki."

"The famous seal-master Rera…" a figure walked into the light. He wore a black cloak with red clouds, and a bamboo hat with tassels covering his face, bar one hazel eye. "I never thought I'd meet you in person." He removed the hat, and tossed it aside, revealing chocolate brown hair, tied back in a small pony-tail. Glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, making his appearance even more sinister. "I don't suppose you've heard of me; my country chose to erase me from the history books. But my name is Axel."

At this, Utakata tensed; his pipe suddenly in one hand.

"Oho, your friend seems to recognise that name. However…" a manic grin, too wide to be humanly possible, spread on his face. His irises turned coal black, and his pupils a ghostly white. "… It is far too late.

The next thing Naruto knew, he was in the middle of a cool green field. Wind was blowing peacefully, caressing his face, enthralling his senses… But he was unable to move.

And all hell broke loose. The grass turned to ashes, the sky turned red, and charred carcases littered the ground around him. A splitting scream rang in his ears, and it took him a while to realise HE was the one screaming. Faces he knew- recognised.

A bloodied Rera, a decapitated Mei, a deformed Fuu, and… Utakata, kneeling in front of him, holding a small tanto blade plunged deep into his chest.

The scream only got louder.

XXX

Hizuren Sarutobi let out a long sigh as he strode towards his office. It had been a long day. He'd been forced to endure tirades from various people- including genins, chunins and even council members. He was, in a word, tired.

He began to massage his temple wearily as he walked into the large open room, towards the mahogany desk. But when he removed his hand from his eyes, the elderly man froze.

Sitting on the leather chair behind the desk was a boy, no older than twelve, with a small book in one bandaged hand. The other hand, also bandaged, was stuffed in his pocket. A large metal scroll was resting against the chair, almost close enough to touch the boy's arm. It took a moment for Hizuren to recall who this creature was. But deep down he knew.

The shaggy blond hair, slightly longer than it was when he was a child. The orange jacket, now a larger more mature model, with frayed edges. And those eyes… Of course, he realised that the boy had something wrong with him. Over his left eye were rather long bangs, but past a few strands of hair he could clearly see a clinical eye-patch covering the eye.

But nevertheless… This boy… "Naruto?"

As the word left his lips, a single cerulean blue eye glanced up at the hokage, and a small grin formed on the young man's face. "Yo, Hokage-jiji…"

For a moment, the tanned man just stood there, taking in the new appearance of the boy he had thought long gone. "I should really kill you…" happy tears began to form in his weary eyes. "You made me worry so much."

In one swift movement, Naruto was on his feet, only slightly shorter than the Hokage in height. "I said I'd come back, remember?" he glanced up at the crimson and white hat, resting on Sarutobi's head. "See you kept my hat warm. Don't worry, it'll be mine soon enough."

The hokage smiled warmly, before promptly grinding his fist into the blonde's head, causing him to squeal in pain.

"Oi! What gives, Baka-jiji?" cried Naruto.

"That's for making me worry!" yelled Hizuren, before pulling the boy into a warm grandfather-like hug. "And that's for returning… I'm glad you are home Naruto."

Naruto's face was covered in mixed emotions for a few moments, before his features folded into a warm grin. "Yeah… I am too…"

The Hokage drew back, and sent Naruto a serious look. "So where have you been for the last six years? I know you said you were going away to train- but I assumed you meant something over a shorter period."

Naruto chuckled lightly, a slight amount of pain easily detectable in his voice. "To be honest, I wasn't planning on coming back anytime soon…" he looked down at one of his bandaged hands, and clenched it in a fist. "I was lucky enough to train with a really strong ninja. But though I've grown I've still got a long way to go." Naruto donned a faraway look, and gazed out the window towards the dusk-covered village. "My teacher is dying."

Sarutobi's eyes widened.

"He's been weak for six years, and recently something traumatic has happened to him. He slipped into a coma, so I was forced to leave him in Kusagakaru under the care of a contact." He looked back at Sarutobi. "The truth is, I came to ask if I could apply for a genin exam. I've been living off guild money for years, so being a ninja would really be a step up… I still want to become Hokage, but…" he closed his eye. "… I feel I owe him my help. He and Tsukimi were the only ones willing to train me… And I won't lose him like I lost Tsukimi!"

For a moment, Hizuren said nothing, but then a smile appeared on his face. "I have a felling that you are keeping something from me Naruto. Something very important. But I trust you enough to give you some leeway. As luck would have it- the genin exams are beginning in a few days. With my recommendation you could easily apply." He adjusted his hat. "Is there something you are keeping from me, Naruto my boy?"

The blond stared back at the elderly man and smiled. "Like I said, Jiji. I owe my Utakata-sama more than I can ever hope to return, but one of my debts is silence. I will tell you when you need to know, Jiji."

"My, my Naruto- You have changed. That spark you had in your eye feels more like a bonfire when I look at it now."

At this, Naruto laughed heartily. "Yeah, I suppose It does." He moved one hand up to his bangs and groped the clinical eye-patch hidden behind the hair. "I suppose it does."

XXX

"So the Uzumaki boy my uncle so often ranted about has returned?" drawled Funu, in a bored tone. After the massacre, only she and Sasuke had been left alive (She had been on a genin mission at the time and had avoided the deadly assassin.) After the massacre, she was declared clan leader as she was the oldest and the only established ninja. Of course, Sasuke was placed above her in the value scale, thus she had been pushed aside into the 'temporary-leader' position, until Sasuke had become chunin level, or she married.

Sarutobi shrugged and glanced over the now silent council. "Yes, he returned earlier this day. He claims to have been training for six years with a man known as 'Utakata'. He hasn't told me the finer details, but I trust the boy enough to have faith in him."

"Utakata of the mist?" muttered Danzo, with a raised eyebrow. "He is said to be a team mate of the former Mizukage, Yagura… Also…" he locked eyes with the Hokage. "…He is the jinchuriki of the Rokubi."

At this, the whole room was enveloped in a deadly silence. The Hokage's pipe fell from his mouth to the floor, but he did not notice. "What did you say?"

"Utakata of the Mist, the infamous Bubble-user, is the Jinchuriki of the Rokubi, the Six-Tailed Slug. It's said he and Yagura were both nominated for Mizukage, but Utakata turned down the offer, letting the Sanbi Jinchuriki take over."

Funu's interest was immediately resurrected. Being a clan-head, she had heard of the Uzumaki's tenant and thought nothing of it. But hearing he was trained by a candidate for a kage! Whoever this kid was, he must be good! "A kage candidate you say?" she muttered, slyly. "What else do you know of this 'Utakata'?"

Danzo shrugged. "He went rogue after the bloodline purges started. He was a founder of the Vein-Mist. I even heard he split from that when his master tried to kill him. But I don't know much else, even with my 'sources'…"

"Did the boy speak of his abilities?" asked Inoichi.

Hizuren shook his head. "No, Naruto spoke nothing of abilities. He simply informed me briefly of his journey here then reclaimed the key to his old apartment."

"Are you sure the boy is safe?" questioned Hiashi. "Are you intending to leash him, or risk letting him to his own devices?"

The war-hawk snorted. "Be serious, Hiashi. If you want to leash anything- don't make a jinchuriki. Their kind are notorious for vendettas, and leashing them only results in pain. I would suggest keeping tabs on the boy at most- he has been trained by a notorious bingo-book figure."

The hokage nodded, then let out a sigh. Yes, this was a long day…

XXX

"Yo, Tsuki-sensei." Muttered Naruto, in a jovial tone as he stood parallel to the gravestone. "It's been a while."

The boy proceeded to sit down, cross-legged. From his bag he drew a bottle of sake, and two cups, which he began to fill. "I picked this up from water country." He muttered, quietly. "It's believed to calm the soul." Placing one cup beside the cold marble stone, he raised the other one to his lips and drained it.

"I'm still an underdog, sensei. I feel after all I've done- all I've accomplished… I still have a long way to go. I've advanced my style now, it's just like we wanted- a balanced style with no flaws or glitches. I've trained for six years getting it right, so you'd be proud…"

Of course, there was no response.

Naruto smiled sadly, then poured himself a little more sake and raised the glass to the air. "Thanks, sensei. I wouldn't be here right now without ya…"

XXX

A melancholy smile slowly faded onto the blonde's face as he stared at the tall apartment complex. "It's been a while… I'm home." Crouching down, the boy proceeded to leap onto the wall then run straight up it, using chakra to stick him to the concrete.

Before long, he'd reached the window- his window, on the third floor, fifth corridor. His home. He easily opened the window and hopped into the dusty room, the smell of must encircling the environment from lack of habitation.

The couch looked worn and dirty, the floor looked beaten and the walls were nearly peeling. Yup, he was home alright. Slinging the heavy bronze scroll off his back, the boy drew a smaller, more compact paper scroll from the pouch on his leg. "Fuin." (Seal)

As he flung the parchment open and twirled it around, the entire contents of the room were stored in the tiny scroll. Sealing scrolls were staples for ninja- with the ability to hold any inanimate object from paper-weights to cadavers. Each sealing scroll had a counterpart somewhere in the world- where the stored items were sent until retrieved.

He had been informed that the seal on this particular scroll was linked to a 'Scroll-Bank' not fifteen kilometres away from Kirigakaru. This at least offered some reassurance to the young boy- he'd hate to seal something very important and have it disappear forever.

With a grin, he flicked a second scroll out his pouch, and laid it on the ground, then muttered the same keyword, "Fuin!" the seal on the parchment began to glow, before a puff of smoke clouded the room. When the smoke cleared a TV, a cooking stove and a fine leather couch appeared in their appropriate places.

Having travelled for over six years, the boy had a habit of never unsealing too much as he was never tied to an area for very long. Chuckling lightly at the irony of suddenly being tied to a place he'd tried to escape from, Naruto removed a packet from his pocket and looked at it distastefully. "Let's see, what to eat…? Protein pills, protein pills and, well, what a surprise- more protein pills." He tossed the pack carelessly onto the couch, then flexed his muscles. "Alright, better go shopping."

Retrieving his scroll from the floor and reattaching it to his back, the Rougufu-user leapt back onto the windowsill and gazed down at the road bellow. Grinning sheepishly, he murmured, "Just like old times." Before beginning a freefall towards the streets bellow.

He landed on the ground with a heavy THUMP, the dust on the round rising in a plume. "Better than the waterfall at least…" Naruto muttered, recalling how his teacher often threw him off large bodies of water, Heaven Falls being the first of many.

"Rightie-ho…" mumbled the boy, with a sly smile. "Where's the market again?"

XXX

"Stupid brother…" Funu whispered, spite evident in her voice. The boy had 'ordered' her to buy the weekly supplies, i.e. food, tools etc.

She LOATHED her younger cousin- but he was technically the only family she had. Well, the only family who wouldn't murder her on sight. Grumbling to herself, the girl sent the store vendor a sharp glare causing him to shiver, before pointing accusingly at a pile of apples. "Give me ten!"

"Y-Yes ma'am!"

"Do I LOOK like a 'ma'am' to you?"

"Er- no, well, yes, no, I mean…" the young vendor paled, blood rushing to his face in embarrassment and fear.

"Yup, you do look like a 'ma'am' to me." Shot a young voice, causing a tick to appear on Funu's face. She turned to yell at the rude person- who dared speak to her, when she froze in her tracks.

A blond boy with long spiky hair, bangs covering one eye, was staring at her lazily. His face was lightly tanned and whisker marks adorned his cheeks, giving a cute if not slightly feral appearance. An orange and black jacket covered his torso, lying open revealing a mesh shirt, while baggy hakama pants covered his legs, standard ninja equipment visible through pouches attached to the fabric. A large metal scroll was strapped to his back, rivalling the size of one of the Sannin's summon scroll's.

The boy held her gaze, before grinning at the vendor. "I'll take five apples, one of those pineapples and… Ooh- a watermelon! That'll do nicely!"

The vendor nodded thankfully at his saviour, before hurriedly packing the fruit into a basket.

Funu continued to glare at the boy, but only half-heartedly. Instead of glaring at his face as a whole, she found her eyes drawn to his one visible cerulean eye- a brilliant blue in colour, sparkling with such joy… and pain?

The newcomer thanked the vendor gratefully, then glanced around the other stalls throughout the marketplace. "Let me see… Maybe some fish tonight- where'll I buy a harpoon?"

"Oi- is this brat being serious?" Funu thought, incredulously. The kid was standing in the middle of a marketplace- scratch that- the BIGGEST marketplace in Konoha, and instead of wondering where to buy fish, he was looking for a FREAKING harpoon? "The fishmonger's over there, brat!" snapped Funu, her voice shrill- though she could not fathom why.

A single cerulean eye rested on her. "I know- I prefer fresh fish to market-fish. And what makes me the brat here, how old are you- 14, 15?"

She blushed furiously. "Don't mock me, brat! I'll have you know the fish here is brilliant- and I'm 15 for your information!"

A small smile twitched on his lips. "Oh? Well, I guess that means I'm your junior." He turned on his heels and waved back at her casually. "I'll take your advice on the fish!"

Grinding her teeth, Funu suddenly spotted the scorpion shaped lock on the scroll strapped to his back, perfectly visible as he stalked off. Her face paled, even more than the Uchiha's complexion usually appeared. Earlier at the council meeting the Hokage had been questioned on what the Uzumaki boy had brought with him. His answer had been simple, "Merely the clothes on his back and a large scroll. The funny thing was, it reminded me of a summon scroll, but that would be impossible. The lock on it was shaped like a scorpion, but I have never heard of such as summon."

"I-Impossible…" she murmured. "That b-brat…" she clenched her fist and glared at his retreating figure, her face red with anger. "U-zu-ma-ki…"

XXX

Sorry for the delay- big time on the writers block! I also purchased Monster Hunter Tri recently, and have been absolutely obsessed with it! If anyone's far on in the game, can they help me- HOW DO I SLAY THE BLOODY BARROTH? I got the thing limping and began hacking it, when it SAT on me! SAT ON ME! How the F*** is that fair?

*SIGH* Anyhow, I've had some notice on the pairing issue which has haunted many, and some are troubled by the Anko addition. I might put up a poll on removing her, but maybe I'll keep her…. I dunno.

See ya'll next chapter!